Long Over Due Pictures

Sorry it has taken me so long to get these pictures posted from our McWane Center trip last week. We had a lot of fun and we probably be spending a lot of very hot summer days there.

our little monkey is always looking for something to climb

Lillian and Colton

the kids loved playing in the water area.

I think only the boys got the water all over themselves, typical of boys.

Cute Emma...she LOVED the water.

check out that look Eli is giving to Lillian.

Lillian wanted to wash her bow

trying to put the apron on Eli...

she just didn't want to him to get wet.

19 Weeks!

Today I am 19 weeks, and feel like I have finally hit that second trimester bliss! When I was pregnant with Lillian I was exhausted for those first eleven weeks, but at 12 weeks 1 day I automatically felt great! Baby Hays has made things a little bit more difficult this time around. It wasn't until 15 or 16 weeks when I actually felt like a normal person again. Next Wednesday we have our 20 week ultrasound and I have to admit that it is taking all I have right now not to just go ahead and find out if this little baby is a he or a she. There are moments when not knowing is simply frustrating. Not knowing if I need to be buying blue or if Lillian's pink onesies will work. But ask me tomorrow and I will have no desire to know what this little one is. I guess that is just how it is, one day I am dying to know and the next I could care less. Luckily I will have Shaun with me next week during the ultrasound, so if I am having one of those I HAVE TO KNOW days he will make sure we stick to our guns of not finding out.

Our sweet, growing Baby Hays!


Shaun snapped this pic while I was checking my baby belly out in the mirror. It is not a flattering picture of me, but really shows how big our baby is getting! He thought it was cute that Lillian was trying to touch the baby.


Lillian wanted me to give her baby a kiss!

Furniture Drama

After A LOT of bedroom furniture drama, we decided that it would be easier and more economical to turn Lillian's toddler bed into a full bed, get her big girl bedding, and just buy Baby Hays a brand new crib and changing table/dresser. When we bought Lillian's furniture we made sure that we bought good quality stuff, because we knew that we would eventually make it into a one of our children's bedroom suits. When we found out we were pregnant Shaun and I had planed on passing down Lillian's crib and dresser to Baby Hays and buying her new furniture. But after not finding something we loved and then finding something we loved but not loving the price, we just decided to buy Baby Hays new furniture and turn Lillian's into a full bed. Still confused? I kind of am too. Even though I was disappointed about not getting Lillian new furniture I respected Shaun's decision and ended up finding a beautiful, simple, sweet crib at Pottery Barn that I love! And our neutral baby bedding will look perfect in it, so this Momma is one happy camper. Not to mention that Shaun told me I could pick out a nice glider/chair for the new nursery since I was so understanding about not getting Lillian new furniture. Knowing that this is our last pregnancy-99.9% sure of it- Shaun has been extra understanding about how emotional and sentimental I get over even the simplest detail when it comes to planning for our sweet baby. I am so excited about Baby Hays new crib and changing table! It should be here in 7 to 8 days, and I cannot wait to get it set up in Baby Hays room!!

Not only is this the simple, sweet, beautiful crib I was describing, it also is shown with the actual bedding that we bought for our sweet baby many months ago. So you can really get a good idea of what it will all look like when it is put together.



this is the changing table that we also got. Hopefully my very talented and wonderful brother-in-law will help Shaun build out the closest since we do not plan on putting a big dresser in the nursery.

Meeting Lois Anne!

Today Alli, Eli, Lillian and I went to our friend Kelley and her new sweet little girl Lois Anne. I could not get over how tiny she was, even though she was born at 8 lbs 11 oz! Lillian was a whole pound and a half lighter than Miss Lois Anne when she was born, but you honestly forget how it feels to hold a little newborn. She was so sweet and beautiful, and Lillian did great with her. She definitely made sure that she had VERY clean hands. My little OCD girl really loved the hand sanitizer in the hospital room.

Thanks Kelley for letting us come by and visit this afternoon. Lois Anne is gorgeous, and we cannot wait to get to know her and be around her more and more. CONGRATULATIONS on your sweet baby girl!

Amen

Lillian and I got home a little late this evening and I didn't feel like cooking dinner, so instead I picked up Milo's for us. The whole way home Lillian kept saying ,"eat, eat Momma, eat"! The second we walked in the door she ran to the table and climbed up in her chair patiently wait for me to get our food on the plates. Her patience was running thin and she immediately tried to start eating the second we put the food in front of her. Of course we stopped her and reminded her that we had to say the blessing first. Shaun started to pray and well, I guess she thought his blessing was getting a little lengthy because in the middle of Shaun's prayer Lillian shouts, "AMEN!" and then grabbed her food and started eating. Shaun and I couldn't help but laugh at our little 2 year old (almost 2 anyway). He quickly wrapped up the prayer so we could all eat.

Lillian is constantly making Shaun and I laugh. I cannot even keep up with all of the new and funny things that she is saying these days. At Chuck E Cheese on Tuesday she would run up to me and ask "more money momma", referring to the tokens for the games. I cannot believe sometimes how lucky I am to be her Mommy. How thankful I am that God thought Shaun and I were actually worthy enough to raise this precious little girl.

18 Weeks

I was sure by now that I would have started feeling our sweet baby moving and bouncing all over the place, but I have felt nothing! Every now and again I will feel the slightest flutter, but even then I am not 100% sure that it is the baby. In a couple of weeks we will have our BIG ultrasound, and even though we are not finding out what we are having I am still excited to see our little one and to know that he or she is completely healthy.

Baby Hays,

My doctor keeps promising me that you are in there, but I have yet to feel your flips and kicks. I have yet to feel anything other than a tiny, tiny flutter here and there. How anxious I am to feel you, to really know that you are in there. Feel free to start bouncing away anytime you are ready. One new, but familiar development this past week, has been the lovely pregnancy insomnia. I remember having this same issue when I was pregnant with your big sister, but believe it or not I do not really mind it too much this time around. When I can't sleep I just think about you, and how much your Daddy and I already love you. Keep growing in there...

Love, Mommy

The Ugly Side Of Being A Stay @ Home Mommy

Yes, believe it or not there is an ugly side to this otherwise fabulous, extremely rewarding job of mine. Like today, I feel like I have never been so exhausted in my life. My stomach is killing me from this little baby making his or herself extra cozy in there. My hard working hubby has been MIA studying for his finals for the past couple of weeks -so thankful for you hard work Shaun-but being 24/7 on my own with Lillian can be trying to say the least. I want nothing more today than to curl up in bed and watch all six seasons of Sex In The City. But instead it is 7:45 am and I have already been outside coloring with sidewalk chalk, cleaned paint off of the kitchen wall, delt with two melt downs over Cheez-Its, enforced one timeout for hitting, played "lets make a deal so mommy can shower", and kissed three boo-boos.

It is hard when you know that your job means never leaving the office, always having to be in a good mood and smiling, being on call 24/7 for you boss/child. No one tells you, "good job today" , or gives you a bonus for your hard work. You can't go to the bathroom by yourself, and if you try than you just end up with a screaming toddler sticking her fingers underneath the door. These are a few of the ugly things about being a stay at home mommy that wear on you after awhile. Everyone complains about their job from time to time, right? But on days like today it is good to remember the perks of this fabulous, extremely rewarding, always entertaining job. Such as...this morning Lillian gave me "nose kisses" while we laid in bed together after Shaun had left for work. We cuddle on the couch every morning and watch Mickey Mouse Clubhouse or Dora together. I get to go to Chuck E Cheese on a random Tuesday with some great Mom friends and their sweet kids. I get to spend hours a day coloring and painting with my little girl, eating Popsicles on our back porch. I never miss one word, one silly face, one kiss or one hug. I love when she just walks in the room and says, "hey momma" as she goes about doing whatever it was she was doing. When I lay down with her in the afternoon for her naps as she dozes off I always whisper, "I love you" and sometimes, every now and then, she will whisper "I love you too" back to me as she falls asleep. In those little moments I am so thankful for my job and my controlling, demanding little boss. God is so good, and it seems like on those really hard days He always brings me a really sweet moment like that one. I like to think of it as God giving me a little pat on the back saying, "your doing a good job, just hang in there".

My stay at home mommy saga continues- in the time it has taken me to write this post Lillian has stripped down naked-although she is still wearing her pink crocs, taken all of the clothes out of her dresser and put them in the middle of the kitchen floor. Duty calls...I guess in this economy I am just glad to have a job.

**I love you Lillian, and love every moment that I get to spend with you. I am painfully aware that these years with you are going by all too quickly, and I am forever grateful for the time I get with you everyday.

Wedding Weekend Fun...A Ton Of Pictures

This past weekend Lillian and I headed to Dothan, AL for my cousin's wedding. Shaun has a final this week so he couldn't come with us, and I cannot even begin to tell you how much Lillian and I missed him. But thankfully my younger brother Mark road down there with us, which made the three hour car ride with a toddler much easier. And since he is moving to Austin, TX in June Lillian and I were very excited to get to spend some extra time with him. She really loves Mark so much, and every time he got out of her sight she would stop and say, "Oh no, Mark".

The wedding was beautiful, and the reception was at a great location where the kids could just run all over the place; which they did. It was a very long, but fun weekend and it was great to see all of our family. Congratulation John and Abby Melton!

uncle Mark trying to work the DVD player (thanks again Meredith)

Lillian and her new BFF Uncle Mark

she loves him so much!

Lillian, Eli and Eli's stick. He kept picking up these giant sticks around the park.

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this picture. They are so sweet together.

giving Baby Hays a kiss...she loves to kiss him/her these days.

sometimes even Mommy gets a kiss too.

she loves her Aunt Alli, or her "Momma" as she calls her.

playing in the hotel room...

Eli should seriously be a little baby model

Lillian has started dancing a lot these days. She will just stop and do it out of no where.

Mommy and Lillian

trying to catch my little monkey

chasing Uncle Mark...

Mark caught her!

Lillian need Mark to get "rocks" out of her shoes. It was just mulch from the play ground, but she didn't know how to describe it any other way.